Human awareness telemetry apparatus, systems, and methods

Abstract

Systems and apparatus are provided for monitoring and/or collecting data regarding environmental conditions and optionally personal health information, and generating warnings for a wearer based on acceptable limits for hazards. Using the collected data, the systems and apparatus communicate recommendations to the wearer to improve or maintain personal safety in the detected environment. Methods for monitoring environmental risks and generating warnings based on acceptable limits for hazards are also provided.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. Apparatus for detecting workplace hazards and alerting a worker, comprising:
 a user interface comprising a visual display system; 
 an integrated circuit card comprising:
 environmental hazard sensors, 
 health hazard sensors; 
 
 a controller programmed to:
 compare data from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors with safety thresholds for each environmental hazard and health hazard; 
 determine if a safety threshold has been exceeded for each environmental hazard and health hazard and communicate an alert for each safety threshold that is exceeded; 
 monitor rates of change in data received from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors; 
 calculate a time interval when each environmental hazard and health hazard is predicted to exceed the safety thresholds; and 
 communicate the time interval when the safety thresholds are predicted to be exceeded, and 
 
 a transmitter configured to transmit alerts comprising each safety threshold that is exceeded, and predictions of the time interval when safety thresholds are predicted to be exceeded, 
 wherein the alerts comprise visual alerts displayed by the visual display system. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the user interface further comprises one or more wearable devices selected from the group consisting of safety glasses, safety visors, smartwatches, fitness trackers, headbands, wristbands, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the environmental hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of physical sensors, biological sensors, chemical sensors, radiological sensors, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , where the health hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of body temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, heart rate, respiration rate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the alerts further comprise alerts selected from the group consisting of audible alerts, tactile alerts, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. System for detecting workplace hazards and communicating alerts, comprising:
 an interface configured to communicate an alert; and 
 a sensor platform comprising:
 environmental hazard sensors, and 
 health hazard sensors; 
 
 a controller programmed to:
 compare data from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors with safety thresholds for each environmental hazard and health hazard; 
 determine if a safety threshold has been exceeded for each environmental hazard and health hazard and communicate an alert for each safety threshold that is exceeded; 
 monitor rates of change in data received from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors; 
 calculate a time interval when each environmental hazard and health hazard is predicted to exceed the safety thresholds; and 
 communicate the time interval when the safety thresholds are predicted to be exceeded, and 
 
 means for transmitting alerts to the interface, where the alerts comprise each safety threshold that is exceeded, and predictions of the time interval when safety thresholds are predicted to be exceeded, 
 wherein the interface communicates the alert. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , where the controller is programmed with multiple safety threshold levels for each environmental hazard and health hazard. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , where a determination that a hazard exceeds a maximum threshold level generates a stop work alert. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , where a determination that a hazard exceeds a minimum threshold level but is below a maximum threshold level generates a caution alert. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 6 , where the means for transmitting is selected from the group consisting of wired and wireless connections. 
     
     
       11. Method for issuing workplace hazard alerts to a worker, comprising:
 providing sensors to detect one or more environmental hazards associated with the workplace; 
 providing sensors to detect one or more health hazards associated with the worker assigned to the workplace; 
 receiving data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors; 
 comparing the data from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors with safety thresholds for each hazard, and determining when safety thresholds are exceeded; 
 communicating an alert to the worker when a safety threshold for an environmental hazard or health hazard is exceeded; 
 monitoring rates of change in data received from sensors detecting environmental hazards and health hazards; 
 calculating a time interval when each environmental hazard and health hazard is predicted to exceed the safety thresholds; and 
 communicating to the worker the time interval when the safety thresholds are predicted to be exceeded. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the environmental hazard sensors and the health hazard sensors are provided on a sensor platform that further comprises the controller. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , where the environmental hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of physical sensors, biological sensors, chemical sensors, radiological sensors, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , where the health hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of body temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, heart rate, respiration rate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , comprising summing data received from sensors detecting environmental hazards and health hazards over time; calculating a cumulative exposure for each environmental hazard and health hazard; comparing the cumulative exposure against cumulative exposure safety thresholds; and communicating alerts to the worker when cumulative exposure safety thresholds are exceeded. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the alert is selected from the group consisting of a visual alert, an audible alert, a tactile alert, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       17. Method for issuing workplace hazard alerts to a worker, comprising:
 providing sensors to detect one or more environmental hazards associated with the workplace; 
 providing sensors to detect one or more health hazards associated with the worker assigned to the workplace; 
 receiving data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors; 
 comparing the data from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors with safety thresholds for each hazard and determining when safety thresholds are exceeded; 
 communicating an alert to the worker when a safety threshold for an environmental hazard or health hazard is exceeded; 
 determining that data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors does not exceed safety thresholds for each environmental hazard and health hazard; 
 aggregating data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors that does not exceed safety thresholds; 
 comparing the aggregated data against one or more aggregated risk profiles comprising sub-thresholds for combinations of two or more of the environmental hazards and health hazards; and 
 communicating an alert to the worker when an aggregated risk profile is exceeded. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , where the environmental hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of physical sensors, biological sensors, chemical sensors, radiological sensors, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , where the health hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of body temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, heart rate, respiration rate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising providing data regarding the personal health of the worker and one or more personal health risk thresholds. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , further comprising comparing data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors against the one or more personal health risk thresholds and communicating alerts to the worker when one or more personal health risk thresholds are exceeded. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17 , comprising summing data received from sensors detecting environmental hazards and health hazards over time; calculating a cumulative exposure for each environmental hazard and health hazard; comparing the cumulative exposure against cumulative exposure safety thresholds; and communicating alerts to the worker when cumulative exposure safety thresholds are exceeded. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the alert is selected from the group consisting of a visual alert, an audible alert, a tactile alert, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       24. Apparatus for detecting workplace hazards and transmitting alerts, comprising:
 an interface comprising a visual display system; 
 an integrated circuit card comprising:
 environmental hazard sensors, and 
 health hazard sensors; 
 
 a controller programmed to:
 compare data from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors with safety thresholds for each environmental hazard and health hazard; 
 determine that data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors does not exceed safety thresholds for each environmental hazard and health hazard; 
 aggregate data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors that does not exceed safety thresholds; 
 compare the aggregated data against one or more aggregated risk profiles comprising sub-thresholds for combinations of two or more of the environmental hazards and health hazards; and 
 communicate an alert when an aggregated risk profile is exceeded; and 
 
 a transmitter configured to transmit alerts comprising each aggregated risk profile that is exceeded, 
 wherein the alerts comprise visual alerts displayed by the visual display system. 
 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 24 , where the interface further comprises one or more wearable devices selected from the group consisting of safety glasses, safety visors, smartwatches, fitness trackers, headbands, wristbands, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 24 , where the environmental hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of physical sensors, biological sensors, chemical sensors, radiological sensors, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 24 , where the health hazard sensors are selected from the group consisting of body temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, heart rate, respiration rate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the alerts further comprise alerts selected from the group consisting of audible alerts, tactile alerts, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       29. System for detecting workplace hazards and communicating alerts, comprising:
 a interface configured to communicate an alert; and 
 a sensor platform comprising:
 environmental hazard sensors, and 
 health hazard sensors; 
 
 a controller programmed to:
 compare data from the environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors with safety thresholds for each environmental hazard and health hazard; 
 determine that data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors does not exceed safety thresholds for each hazard; 
 aggregate data from environmental hazard sensors and health hazard sensors that does not exceed safety thresholds; 
 compare the aggregated data against one or more aggregated risk profiles comprising sub-thresholds for combinations of two or more of the environmental hazards and health hazards; and 
 communicate an alert when an aggregated risk profile is exceeded; and 
 
 means for transmitting the alert from the controller to the interface. 
 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 29 , where the means for transmitting is selected from the group consisting of wired and wireless connections.